Notable Natives
About 4,000 plants native to the United States are of concern to conservationists.
The following list profiles just a few of these plants.
- The Tennessee coneflower (Echinacea tennesseensis) is known
from only ten cedar glades, all within 15 miles of Nashville, Tennessee.
The expansion of the Nashville metropolitan area poses the most serious
threat to this species. In addition, interbreeding or hybridization
with other coneflower species may jeopardize this coneflowers's survival
as a distinct species.
- The cockspur (Erythrina eggersii) has been reduced to just
four locations on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands and one or two
sites on Puerto Rico. Fewer than 75 plants still grow in the wild.
The U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico constitute one of the five
CPC "priority regions" because of their high percentage of rare native
plants.
- The green pitcher plant (Sarracenia oreophila) is a federally
protected endangered species that is now limited to a few wild populations
in northeast Alabama and adjacent Georgia. The very limited range
and specialized habitat of this species make it the rarest of all
pitcher plants. Pitcher plants are unusual because they are carnivorous,
obtaining nutrients from insects and other invertebrates that get
trapped inside them. Unfortunately, this interesting trait makes them
a prime target for plant collectors.
- The Ma`o, or Hawaiian cotton (Gossypium tomentosum), has
been so reduced by seaside development and habitat destruction that
it is now vulnerable to extinction. This plant was once used by Hawaiians
to produce green and yellow dyes for cloth. Although Hawaiian cotton
is not suitable for weaving, it has been used by the cotton industry
in developing disease-resistant strains of commercial cotton.
- The California Orcutt grass (Orcuttia californica) is endemic
to vernal pools of southern California. These seasonal wetlands fill
with water after fall and winter rains and dry out during the spring
and summer. Vernal pools are unique and fragile ecosystems, and they
are being rapidly destroyed by urban and agricultural development,
mowing and livestock grazing, and off-road vehicles.
- Price's groundnut (Apios priceana) was once used as a source
of food by Native Americans, and if recovery efforts are successful,
this vine could be developed as a food crop in the United States.
Unfortunately, only 25 populations still grow in the Midwest, and
many of these consist of just a few plants. Threats include trampling
and grazing by cattle, clearcutting, competition from exotic species,
and herbicides.
Plants
in Peril Menu
|